Tag Archives: healthy eating

New Year’s resolutions are good things – unless you set yourself up for failure with grand, ultimately unachievable goals. Rather than frustrate yourself with overwhelming changes, try making smaller ones that will positively impact your life and encourage other healthier decisions throughout the year.

Sticking to your New Year’s resolutions doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to take pleasure in the joys of the season. It’s OK to indulge in a sweet treat every now and again – even if you promised that you would steer clear of those baked confections in the new year. Simply lighten up the recipe with a few key substitutions, such as replacing fatty shortening, margarine or butter with olive oil.

Small substitutions are easy to do and make a noticeable difference. By replacing 1 cup of butter with 3/4 cup of olive oil, you will save approximately 430 calories and 48 grams of fat calories. You won’t have to hesitate to treat family and friends to warm, rich baked goods because they have fewer calories and more nutritional value. You won’t feel like you have lost sight of your goals either.

You can use olive oil in any of your favorite old family dessert recipes or try Chef Fabio Viviani‘s delectable double chocolate truffle cookie or delicious olive oil cake recipe. Next time you need to make a sweet treat for an event or special occasion, give olive oil a chance. You may be surprised at how wonderfully a simple change can make a big difference.

As you are breaking out the stand mixer and baking pans this year, consider replacing cholesterol-laden butter, canola oil, or shortening with Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil. The light flavor of this olive oil is virtually undetectable and will not compete with the sweetness of your secret cookies, brownies or cakes recipes. Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil doesn’t have the distinct olive flavor that other olive oils have, making it ideal for baking. You won’t have to worry about serving a dry dessert, because olive oil will help to keep your family’s favorite dessert recipes moist down to the last crumb.

Making the switch is a smart option for your new year’s resolution and your health. Olive oil is a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat that is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage.

Double Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon sea salt and extra for sprinkling

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits or chocolate toffee

Directions:

In a stand mixer, beat the olive oil, sugar and extract until well mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and set aside.

Add cocoa powder, flour, and salt into the mixer. Mix until rich dough comes together.- Add in the dissolved baking soda. Then mix in the chocolate chips and toffee.

Scoop the dough using a small ice cream scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of each cookie dough ball.

Bake at 350 F for 8 minutes, until the edges are set.

Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to wire rack or plate.

While working as a one-on-one nutritional consultant with clients, Koch came up with the “Clean Plates” philosophy.

“I started to realize that while educating and supporting [my clients] was very important, the thing that was working the most consistently to get them to change was to provide them with well-curated recommendations of restaurants and products, and to make it simple for them.”

His previous Clean Plates books not only included a restaurant guide, buts also Koch’s nutrition and healthy eating beliefs.

“We were getting a lot of great feedback [on the Clean Plates philosophy], so we wanted to expand on that and get it out to a much larger audience,” said Koch.

“[We also wanted to] give people the tools and resources to take that philosophy and implement it at home,” he added.

In addition to 120 recipes from chefs, such as Jamie Oliver and Iron Chef Marc Forgione, sample menus and resources for a healthier lifestyle, in the cookbook Koch breaks down his Clean Plates way of eating into five aspects.

The first one is eating as a bio-individual, which is the idea that “the right foods for my body are going to be diff erent than the right foods for your body,” said Koch.

We are conditioned to think of food as either good or bad, he further explains, but it should be about what’s best for each person.

The second aspect is “don’t count your food, make your food count,” and emphasizes eating betterquality food that is organic, locally grown and has fewer chemicals.

Koch also believes everyone should have a diet with a plant-based foundation, but isn’t saying that everyone needs to go vegetarian or vegan.

For those that do eat meat, Koch’s fourth aspect is about eating meat in the most responsible way—hormone and antibiotic free, preferably pasture-raised and in moderation.

“We try to take an approach that is very reasonable. It’s not about reaching some ideal, it’s about making progress and improving,” said Koch. “When you start to make changes in that direction, the body really responds.”